Are you aware of what people online are saying about your business and yourself? You don't care? Ah, think twice… Managing your reputation online is as important as Search Engine Optimization (SEO). False or true comments, they give you the chance of bringing your business into the lime light.
Before you can manage your reputation, you have to find out what people have said. And not only that, but also who has been saying something. A search engine optimisation specialist can help you with this, or there are some different methods to track the comments about you online. Google provides an Alerts service for free, and these alerts are quite easy to install. You simply search the web and then save it as Alert. There is a choice between a news search and a comprehensive search.
In case you just introduced a new service or product or you have been a news item, you can go and look for your name or product on sites like Twitter or other social media websites. You can also check search sites for blogs, for instance Technorati. Besides these possibilities there are also sites that monitor if your name is mentioned in loads of sources. Some are free; others ask money for this service.
Once you know the message, you can start controlling it. If you feel you have to respond to it, you can now do that.
If the comments are positive, you can thank the people who gave you the boosts. It's always great to get new contacts online.
If the comments are negative however, you have to do something about it. Tell your side of the story. In case the negative comments are in your blog, you can respond right away. If it is very important you can give out a press release. Should your name be trashed in someone else's blog or comments there, you put your own defense in that same blog, which is the source.
Whatever you do in managing your reputation, always be relaxed and open, and not defensive at all. Always use a polite, calm and professional tone. Being mentioned means you can turn that positively in your direction. Any mention is great publicity, being ignored is the worst that can happen to anyone.
Once you are managing your reputation you will find a lot of possibilities to do so. The best mentioning is word of mouth, even if you cannot steer the outcome of the conversation. You can always give your version later. And if you have a blog you can react to visitors and customers alike in a quick and effective way - both to the negative and the positive comments. You can also use your newsletter and other communication strategies to do this.